Senior Management Team

Grant Cleland is the new Chief Executive of Workbridge. He has over 22 years experience working in the disability field. Born with a physical impairment, Spina Bifida, Grant uses a wheelchair for mobility. He therefore brings to Workbridge both lived and professional experience; particularly in employment, transition and tertiary education.

Over the last 12 years Grant has developed 'Creative Solutions' offering project management, training, external supervision, mentoring, advocacy, group facilitation, research and strategic planning services.

Grant has been happily married to Nicky for 15 years and they have lively six year old twin boys, Tim and Jack. Grant's early years were spent growing up in Taranaki and he moved to the South Island to go to university. His passions include being a dad, playing the guitar and his iPod, handcycling, mono-skiing and camping with his family.

'My journey was started when my mum and dad, Jill and Maurice, encouraged me to have hopes and dreams and then supported me to break down barriers so that I could reach for my dreams. I hope that through my work with Workbridge we can assist many more people to have this same opportunity'.

Mike was born, and grew up, in the Waikato. Mike started working in Hamilton in the 1960s before moving to Auckland in 1967 and has lived there ever since.

Since moving to Auckland, Mike has been involved in administration in a number of environments. These include carpet manufacture, engineering, the head office of a large international manufacturer of children's books and international insurance broking. After spending two years contracting in the computer field, assisting companies prepare for Y2K, Mike joined Workbridge in 2000.

Since the late 1960s, Mike has had a particular interest in computers and their use in the work environment. Mike first became involved with mainframe computers in the early 1970s.

Mike is Workbridge's Finance and Services Manager and his responsibilities include finance, computer, data and telecommunication systems, office properties and motor vehicles.

Away from Workbridge Mike's interests are indoor rowing (current NZ title holder), boating (former Auckland Coastguard Skipper), rugby (spectator) and classic cars. Mike has restored a 40 year old MGB GT.

Mike is married to Pauline and has two adult daughters.

Anne was born in Wellington and spent her formative years in Hamilton. Anne also spent a year in Christchurch but has lived in Wellington for most of her adult life.

Anne has been the Human Resources Manager at Workbridge since 2003. Most of Anne's HR experience has been in the shipping and transport industry where her first venture was managing the fleet personnel for the Shipping Corporation's 16 vessels.

Anne has a teenage daughter who is a talented soccer and cricket player. Much of Anne's spare time is spent on the sidelines supporting her and her team.

Anne breeds, exhibits and judges pedigree dogs and is a passionate supporter of the Hurricanes. Anne enjoys reading and theatre, and was an avid skier until the dog numbers grew out of hand!

Diana was born and raised in Wellington and spent many years in Christchurch raising a family and being involved in community agencies.

After many years in self employment, Diana changed direction, graduating in 1994 from Canterbury University BEd Dip Tch.

After a brief flirtation with teaching, Diana was employed as part of a community team working with women experiencing life changes associated with domestic violence and social disadvantage.

Diana joined Work and Income in 1996, and in 2001 was seconded to Wellington to join a MSD project team. At the conclusion of her secondment, Diana returned to Wellington, taking a position at the Work and Income Regional Office. During this time Diana worked with Work and Income offices to develop an 'In Work Support' pilot for people who had moved from benefit dependency into employment.

Since October 2003 Diana has worked as the MSD Business Manager, with responsibility for managing Workbridge's core funding contract with the Ministry of Social Development and the MSD Support Funds Administration and Management contract.

Nick has been the Business Manager Compensation (vocational rehabilitation services) for Workbridge since September 2005. Nick is responsible for the management of the compensation contract and associated stakeholder relationships.

Nick was born and raised in Wellington and attended Kapiti College. Nick entered the workforce in 1985. He has spent most of his working life in the superannuation and insurance industry, and has been involved in a variety of roles.

For 13 years, Nick worked for TOWER, with his last role being the Insurance and Compliance Manager. Nick went on to work for ACC as an Advisory Officer in the Medical Misadventure Unit. He spent 18 months with ACC before being asked to join the Global Retirement Trust (GRT) as their Client Relationship Manager. GRT was a not-for-profit trust involved in providing employer superannuation benefits.

Nick enjoys the great outdoors that NZ has to offer and is keen on hunting and fishing, as time permits. Most Saturday mornings you will find Nick on the sidelines, supporting both of his daughters who play netball.

Nick is currently studying extramurally through Massey University for a Graduate Diploma in Business. Nick lives in Karori, Wellington, with his wife and two daughters.

Glen was raised and schooled in the Hawkes Bay before attending Victoria University of Wellington where he completed a degree majoring in Criminology and Political Science and an Honours degree in Social Policy.

Glen worked for the New Zealand Employment Service and Work and Income before starting with Workbridge in 2001 as the Manager of the Whangarei centre.

In 2002 the Whangarei Manager's role expanded to include the Henderson and Takapuna centres in Auckland. The two Auckland centres were later combined into the Albany office.

Since June 2005, Glen has been the Northern Operations Manager, covering the centres from Hawkes Bay to Northland.

Glen is interested in most sports such as rugby, rugby league and cricket. He does, however, dislike soccer. Whenever possible Glen likes to go fishing.

Since joining the Rehabilitation League in Christchurch in 1981, Pam has been working with people with disabilities. Pam has also been involved in vocational planning and employment placement.

The Rehabilitation League was restructured into Workbridge in 1990 and Pam moved into the new organisation to manage one of the Christchurch-based teams. Pam has been the Satellite Manager of several smaller Workbridge teams throughout the country and in 2001 transferred to Auckland to become the Northern Operations Manager.

In April 2005, Pam moved to Wellington to take up her current position as the Southern Operations Manager. This position involves the overview and management of centres from New Plymouth to Invercargill.

Pam's employment background has involved administration, small business ownership/management and supervisory roles in both the private and public sectors.

Pam has two adult daughters, three grandsons and one lovely new grand-daughter.

Pam has had a lifetime interest in marching, spanning fifty plus years. During this time, Pam has actively participated in the sport and in all levels of administration. Since 2000, Pam has held the position of National President of Marching New Zealand.

Pam's other interests include dancing, theatre, travel and following rugby, hockey and cricket.

Karen's current position at Workbridge is to implement a quality management system and to develop quality standards for the organisation. The standards will be based on what Workbridge's stakeholders say is important to them in the delivery of employment services, and will also build on existing knowledge from within the disability sector.

Karen's background is in working with people in the delivery and management of social services, although she has made a few excursions into unrelated occupations along the way.

An interest in service evaluation and service development has developed over the years and quality management seems like a natural progression for Karen.